Men’s Experiences With The Hockey Fans In Training Physical Activity And Healthy Living Program

Abstract

Increasing rates of chronic disease (CD) have led to an increased effort to implement lifestyle interventions aimed at healthy eating, healthy weight and physical activity. While male CD risk exceeds that of women, men are often highly underrepresented in lifestyle programs. This may in part be due to the fact that men consider programs inherently feminine, serving as a barrier for participation. Some studies have observed that men prefer lifestyle programs that incorporate an element of competition and occur in the company of other men. Additionally, programs situated in the context of sports may have lower drop-out rates and higher levels of satisfaction due to feelings of affiliation. PURPOSE: To review men’s feedback regarding their motivation for joining and their experience in a 12-week lifestyle intervention in the context of professional hockey clubs, in London and Sarnia, Ontario, Canada. METHODS: Participants who completed at least 6 of the 12 weekly sessions (n=30) were asked to fill out an online questionnaire after their completion of the intervention. The questionnaire was designed to elicit why they joined the program, what changes they saw following their participation, as well as what program components they found useful and not useful in helping them make those changes. RESULTS: A total of 27 men completed the questionnaire. Weight loss and a desire to increase physical activity were the two main reasons cited for joining the program. After the 12-week intervention, 100% of the men reported eating a healthier diet and 78% reported having increased their activity level. Satisfaction with the program elements was high with 96% of men believing both the classroom and exercise components were useful. Most suggestions for improvement involved decreasing the repetition of classroom material and increasing the proportion of physical activity during each session. CONCLUSION: Our results support previous research showing increased levels of satisfaction in men when lifestyle interventions are run in a sporting context and incorporate both an educational component (with a large focus on healthy eating and physical activity) and an exercise component. This information will be used to support the refinement of the Hockey FIT program prior to conducting future studies.